The old Brach's plant is located at 401 N. Cicero, just north of Lake Street, in a community that has seen many of its Chicago schools closed and others placed on academic probation. The 30-plus-acre property has been vacant for three years.
LaShawn Ford is the owner of Ford Desired Real Estate and candidate for state representative of the 8th district. The democrat has an ambitious plan to use the Brach property for a new school.
In June of 2006, Ford convinced Chicago schools' officials to join him in a walkthrough of his plan at the site. Though he had prior permission for the walkthrough with the Chicago schools' officials, there was no one present to give them access through the 30-foot fence that surrounds the property. As with most politicians, Ford improvised by driving through a hole in the fencing to gain access.
Chicago schools' officials found that the property was close to Chicago's Green Line, and it had some great parking space. Ford emphasized that a school located there could cater to many students from many areas of the city ? Chicago schools' buses could transport students in from different districts. The Chicago schools' officials saw that the location and amount of property could attract a multitude of students with diverse economical, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Ford further pointed out that the Chicago schools had recently invested $30 million into Austin High School for Renaissance 2010 upgrades. He noted that had they foregone those renovations, they could had invested in a new school at the Brach location that would provide much more to the Chicago schools' students over the long term.
The biggest problem facing Ford's ambitious plans for the Chicago schools is zoning. The old Brach plant sits in the city's Protected Manufacturing District. That means that sites within the district can be used only for industrial development. When presented with other plans in the past, the city has been reluctant to rezone the area for commercial or residential development.
The second problem is financing. The property currently is listed at the Paine/Wetzel INCOR International web site for $10 million. The Chicago schools' officials have suggested that the best scenario would be for a donor to purchase the Brach property and give it to the Chicago schools for further development. Even this, of course, is contingent on whether or not the Chicago schools have enough surplus funds to build the school. The estimated cost of building is from $20 to $40 million. Of course, the perfect solution would be for donors to cover the cost of building, as well.
As it currently stands, Ford's proposal is being considered by the Chicago schools. The Chicago schools' officials stated that further study on the project would be needed before any decisions could be made.
Mayor's “Preschool Matters” on November Ballot for Denver Schools
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has introduced the ?Preschool Matters? program that will greatly impact future Denver schools students, if passed by voters in the November election. The early childhood education program is endorsed by the mayor and other Denver officials.
City Council President Michael Hancock believes the measure to be extremely important to the city and the Denver schools. Denver schools Superintendent Michael Bennett agrees, stating that Denver schools educators will do everything they can to pass the measure in November.
The program was developed from recommendations submitted to the mayor by his task force, which was charged with increasing preschool access for Denver's children. Hickenlooper believes that access to quality and affordable preschools is crucial to the city's future, as well as an essential part of improving the Denver schools.
Documented studies show that preschool is one of the best investments for any city and its youth. A recent study in California by the Rand Corporation found that a return on investment of $2.62 in savings could be garnered for every dollar spent on preschool. The savings is realized through lower juvenile crime and high school dropout costs ? saving dollars for both Denver and the Denver schools, as well as graduating better educated Denver schools students.
Other studies have shown that the Denver schools children will be more likely to read by the third grade, less likely to require remedial education, and more likely to graduate high school and enter college.
Preschool Matters, which will greatly benefit the Denver schools and their students, will cost $12 million annually. The mayor is asking for an increase in sales tax that will equal 12 cents on every $100 of purchases within the city. If passed, the Denver sales tax will still be highly competitive with other Front Range communities.
Funding of the program covers:
? Tuition Credits ? Open to children only for the year before entering kindergarten. Children are generally four-year-olds, and the program may be used only for one year. Credits are distributed based on need and the quality of the preschool program selected.
? Outreach and Enrollment.
? A Quality Improvement System for preschool providers and programs.
? Administration of the program by a nonprofit organization that still must be created.
? Internal and External Accountability, Measurement and Reporting ? Covers the number of children enrolled in preschool, the number of quality rated providers, the program finances, and the academic success of the children who attend preschool.
Preschool Matters is similar to a defeated California measure, called Proposition 82. Though both programs expand preschool for four-year-olds, the California measure was much broader in application and based on an income tax increase only for incomes of $400,000 or more annually ? as compared to Denver's sales tax increase for everyone, making individual contributions minimal. The California measure also was in competition with an alternative offering by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Opponents to Preschool Matters believe there already are opportunities in place through the Denver schools that may be used to expand early childhood education. They believe the mayor is only creating a bureaucracy with administrative overhead. Opponents, as well as all Denver voters, will have their say in November.
Demand for Speech Therapists Versus Availability Causing Crisis for the Florida Schools
With the passing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, schools across the nation are now required to offer services that were before considered a luxury for students with disabilities. One such service is for speech and language therapy.
In a memorandum to all Florida schools' special education directors, Chief of Exceptional Education Bambi Lockman wrote that federal officials found that the Florida schools had ?failed to provide speech and language-related services to children with disabilities?. She further noted that the officials stated that these services were necessary as outlined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, without which the children could not fully benefit from their special education.
Speech and language therapists help children who have trouble pronouncing words due to physical disabilities, such as a cleft palate, autism, or hearing impairments. Other children have problems expressing themselves, and some children cannot speak at all. Therapists help these children overcome a wide range of obstacles that interfere with their ability to learn.
Throughout the Florida schools there are nearly 93,000 children who are considered speech or language impaired. That is 18 percent of all Florida schools' students. Under the disabilities act, other students also will qualify for speech and language services, such as those children who are learning English as a second language. The demand for therapists by the Florida schools already is greater than the availability of such professionals, and officials expect that demand to grow even more once services are more readily offered.
Speech and language therapists have been in short supply in the Florida schools, as well as across the United States, for many years. Experts blame the shortage on the increasing demands for therapists by school districts across the nation and the considerably low pay offered, compared to the amount of education, certification and licensing required by the schools.
With the disabilities act, school caseloads have ballooned and are overwhelming. Many students, who would not have qualified for such services in the past, are now eligible and taking advantage of the free school-provided services.
The Florida schools require speech and language therapists to hold a minimum of a master's degree, as well as be certified and licensed to practice within the state of Florida. Unfortunately, the Florida schools' therapists are paid little more than a beginning teacher, who is required only to have a bachelor's degree and who may or may not be certified in their area of expertise. For example, the Florida schools' St. Lucie School District pays therapists only $8,000 more than a beginning teacher.
The majority of speech and language professionals are moving to work in medical and hospital settings, for private companies, or to go into business for themselves as private contractors. In the St. Lucie area, a speech therapist can earn upwards of $100 an hour as a private contractor. As with many teachers over the years, therapists are opting for higher wages and better working conditions.
This makes competition for the Florida schools very difficult. The St. Lucie School District had a difficult time hiring 16 additional speech therapists last year. This year, they prepared to meet the demand by hiring aides and college graduates, who are still working toward their master's degrees and certifications.
The Florida schools' Palm Beach County School District has gone beyond the federal requirements and will have an even higher demand for therapist services. They developed a plan that offers extra speech and language services to all of their elementary-level students with disabilities.
With language and speech playing a crucial role in a student's development and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requiring the Florida schools to provide such services, therapists are much in demand and the shortage is even greater. This means that until the Florida schools can hire all of the needed therapists, the services offered will be limited to how many therapists each school district can manage to hire.